George Sharp was signed by Northamptonshire as a wicketkeeper when 16 and he had to wait four years for his Championship debut - he had made three appearances against the universities - in August 1970. He impressed when given a chance and started 1971 as the first choice, although his season was cut short by a broken finger. Restored in 1972, his keeping against some talented seamers - such as Sarfraz Nawaz, Bob Cottam and John Dye - won praise and he regularly chipped in with valuable lower middle-order runs. In 1976 he made 785 runs, his best, and in 1983 he seemed set for a maiden hundred when dismissed for 98 - it was to be his career best. He retired at the end of 1985 after breaking his thumb and then a finger, but moved with ease into umpiring, standing in 15 Tests and 31 ODIs between 1995-96 and 2001-02 as one of the ICC's international umpires.
Martin Williamson